Izonin Stargate

To quote the developer, this new 'supersaw synth' is ugly, free and has no FX or filters and is Windows-only. That disarmingly honest description alone makes us want to try it out, and with just a few controls, it should certainly have simplicity on its side.

Fsynthz.com Hoar

A curiously named string machine that promises to be 'bright and sharp sounding'. Thanks to its modulated filtering, it's also said to be capable of producing synth FX sounds. Other features include a phrase arpeggiator and up to 16x unison per voice.

Stw-audio REFLEXfree

A cross between a delay and a reverb unit, this new 'ambience generator' can recreate everything from small rooms to endless reverberation. Modulation options enable you to create extra width. Check out the demo movie to see and hear it in action.

Distorque Plusdistortion

This stompbox-style effect emulates the MXR Distortion+ and offers just a couple of top panel controls. However, open up the Tweak menu and you'll find an additional page of buttons and sliders, giving you more in the way of tone-shaping flexibility.

Benjamin Rosseaux BR808

This new free synth is currently in beta, and sports eight oscillators (each of which can access a wide range of waveforms), eight ADSRs, eight freedrawn envelopes, eight LFOs and eight filters. Effects are also part of the package, and there's a modulation matrix.

ProXL ProbaGate

This newly-free probability-driven gate effect enables you to enter a pattern and then use probability sliders to set the chance of occurrence (at 100% the gate works like a standard one). There are 32 steps per pattern, different operating speeds and the option to set left and right channels independently. ProXL's VSTNotes has also been set free.